


Chapter 4:  Sugar and Spice

by That_LOL_Fangirl



Series: G2 Fics [4]
Category: League of Legends RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Original Character(s), frozen yogurt shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22767310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_LOL_Fangirl/pseuds/That_LOL_Fangirl
Summary: Marcin owns a frozen yogurt shop in Berlin. One day a group of young men come in and he is drawn to one of them. They start talking.Instead of coffee shop AU I decided to do a froyo shop. It fits Marcin a lot better.
Relationships: Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski/Rasmus "Caps" Winther
Series: G2 Fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614934
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. Sugared Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> So I was going to try to have this up by Valentine's day but that didn't happen. I hope you all enjoyed this.  
> I know I was going to do one shots for every week of the LEC but this grew so long that it's coming to you in two parts.  
> Shout out to my SO who worked at a froyo shop and has been a dream putting up with my random questions

Marcin walked into his store through the back entrance. The blonde Pole hadn’t done too well in culinary school for his passion was all things sweet and learning about how to peel potatoes into fancy shapes was frankly a waste of his time. Not to mention a recipe for achy hands. That hadn’t stopped him from opening up his own shop after he was done with school. His shop was focussed on sweets, specifically frozen yogurt.

  
Back in school his classmates had teased him for his love of ice-cream and pudding; some joking that he would end up fatter than an American if he wasn’t careful. While it was true that he loved sugar more than he should, that was why he decided to open up a frozen yogurt shop. It was healthier than ice-cream and he felt less guilty sampling the product to make sure it was up to his standards. Which he did every day, multiple times a day. A businessman had to make sure he was running a good business after all.

Switching on the lights in the main part of the shop was his favorite part of the day. He loved looking out at the carefully assembled plastic chairs and tables in bright colors. Not to mention the mural on the far wall showing off a beautiful flower filled meadow with small animals dispersed throughout. Overall the shop was a riot of color and it never failed to bring a smile to his face. It was small with just enough space to seat ten or so people but it was his.

  
Marcin went into the small closet that served as his office and put down his bag. Papers were strewn about his desk which caused him to sigh in annoyance. Keeping everything tidy was so much work and he hated the endless grind of putting papers into the correct binder. It took him a few moments to tidy things up then he turned on his computer, and old model someone had given him for free. With the old hard drive it took almost a whole minute to boot up. Unfortunately balancing his expenses was so much easier in excel than by hand so he had to deal with the ancient thing. 

The past few months hadn’t been good for business but the cold of winter was never kind to those that sold cold treats. Running in the red was slightly concerning and he had had to slash his food budget multiple times this winter to try and save money. By now he was living off of instant noodles and simple meals mainly consisting of rice and beans. He was making less than minimum wage but the government did not care about that since he owned his own business. That was how life was as a small business owner, lots more hours of work for much less pay. It was worth it to be his own boss and besides this summer should more than make up for the lean winter months. 

It took him about an hour to get everything ready for the shop to open. He had to lay out all the toppings people could put on their frozen yogurt (the cheesecake bites were his favorite), make sure the till had some change in it in case anyone paid with cash, and of course take a sample of every flavor to make sure nothing had happened to his yogurt overnight. He felt a bit stressed as the clock moved closer to noon but the small strip mall of stores his shop was located in didn’t seem too busy yet. The spring day was a bit blustery so people were not out and about if they didn’t have to be. It would be yet another long nine hour day with only the customers to talk to. In a month once things got busy he would have a part time employee to help out. The employee would probably be a teenager but still the company would be nice to have.  
  
The day had been pretty slow so far with about as many customers as hours open when he heard the bell ring. The tinny sound broke him out of his thoughts and he looked up from the ipad he used as a register to greet the customers. With a subtle flick of his finger he switched from the game he was playing, solitaire which meant he was bored out of his mind, to the register. Four young men walked in, joking and laughing among themselves.

  
“Hello,” Marcin called out to them making sure to not pitch his voice too loud, “welcome to _The Rainbow Spoon._ Have you been here before?”

  
He felt their attention shift to him. Barely more than two seconds had lapsed before he got a reply from one of the shorter guys. “No we have not.” His brunette hair was cropped close to his skull and the air of confidence he had around him marked him as their leader.

  
“Well you’re in for a treat!” He normally winked here, he loved seeing how kids reacted to it. “We have the best frozen yogurt in Berlin. With ten different flavors to choose from and over thirty different toppings there is something for everyone. It’s all self serve so get as much or as little as you want. Enjoy!” He tried to make the last word as cheery as possible.

  
There wasn’t much to do other than watch the young men decide how to build their dessert but not too closely. Staring at them the whole time would just be awkward for everyone. He took a rag from underneath the counter and wiped at an invisible spot. That was his go-to thing when he couldn’t decide what to do.

  
The first young man to come up to his counter with his creation was the only one with glasses. His hickory brown hair was swept off to one side and he had an adorable divet in his chin. With a smaller serving of chocolate frozen yogurt and drizzle of chocolate sauce on the top Marcin knew this man was a picky eater. He smiled as he rang up the young man’s purchase and found out his name was Mihael. The shorter guy with close cropped hair came by next.

  
“You have a nice shop,” he said to Marcin before looking at what was in Mihael’s cup. “Miky, you’re killing me!” he shouted in disappointment. “All these flavors and toppings and you go with _that?”_

  
“It’s what I like, okay?” 

His short friend shook his head then sighed. “Sorry about him, he’s as picky as a five year old.”

  
Marcin couldn’t help but laugh at that. “It’s fine, I’m just glad he found something he likes. Let me ring you up.” Like almost every younger person he had a decent serving of cookies and cream with extra cookie bits on top. Plus caramel, fudge sauce and whipped cream to top it all off. Marcin couldn’t help but glance at the name on the credit card, Luka Perković. He had barely finished with that transaction before he was greeted with the next young man.

  
Tall, stocky, blond, with piercing blue eyes he was an intimidating figure. Surprisingly he had gone for what Marcin saw as a middle-aged woman’s type of bowl. Mango and strawberry frozen yogurt mixed together with fresh fruit on top dusted with toasted coconut flakes. He didn’t judge. Honestly, people liked what they liked and sometimes what they liked broke any preconceived notion one had. Marcin would almost call this man, Martin as his card said, broody if he didn't’ know any better. Nope, he was just quiet.

  
The other shorter guy took the longest to finish his bowl. Marcin could have sworn he tried every flavor, some twice. His caramel brown hair was slightly mused like he didn’t comb it after getting out of bed this morning. Most surprising was the wide smile on his face that although it looked incredibly goofy it was also incredibly endearing. His bowl was surprising, mainly in the fact that anyone would choose to make it. A mixture of fruity flavors, the classics, and the limited time flavor of avocado. It had almost every topping available too.

  
“I see we have an adventure here,” Marcin mused out loud.

  
“I like to keep things fresh.” If anything his grin was even wider now and Marcin couldn’t help but grin back.

  
“I like you. More people need to try new things.” 

“I’m Rasmus by the way.”

“Marcin.” Unabashed about his unconventional dessert choices Rasmus cheerfully sauntered over to join his friends who were eating their sweets. Mihael looked like he was almost done. Their laughter and banter filled his shop for a short while but it was all too soon that they left and he was alone again. 

Weeks passed and as the weather got warmer his shop got busier. Spring was in full force and flowers were blooming left and right. It would be really pretty if he wasn’t sneezing all the time from his allergies. The morning was bright, not a cloud in the sky, and Marcin smiled as he saw a nest with hatchlings in it on his walk to work. Today he was debuting a new flavor: strawberry and lemon tart. Not too sweet and not too sour it was the perfect flavor for a wonderful spring day. It made him so happy to show off a new flavor and he hoped everyone loved it as much as he did.

  
Work was fairly busy and the hours flew by. Strangely he found himself with a lull as time went into the strange minutes between late afternoon and early evening. Carefully wiping off spots that may not exist Marcin tried to keep busy when he heard the bell chime. He looked up from the table he was polishing and saw Rasmus walk in alone.

His first thought was surprise at the fact he remembered this guy’s name. The short man had only been to his shop once before and that had been almost a month ago. Second thought was that he would never tire of seeing that goofy smile. 

“Hello Rasmus,” he called out with his own smile. “Welcome to _The Rainbow Spoon.”_ Rasmus blinked in surprise at hearing his name. 

“Hey,” he said a bit abashed. “I guess I really made an impression here last time. So...I’m here to try your new flavor. And maybe a few others.”

  
“Go right ahead.”

  
Like the last time Rasmus took his time in building his bowl of froyo. It was another mess of flavors and toppings and Marcin was happy to see a significant portion of it was his new flavor.

  
“Enjoy,” Marcin said after their transaction was finished. Rasmus didn’t move from the counter and Marcin saw him shift uncomfortably.

  
“Do you mind if I stay here and talk to you?” he asked, looking at his bowl of froyo.

  
“Sure?” The request was odd but Marcin was down to talk. In fact that was something he missed now that he worked alone for most of the year. 

Rasmus immediately brightened at his hesitant sure. “Thanks. So, could you remind me of your name again?”

  
“It’s Marcin. Marcin Jankowski.”

  
“Marcin. That’s really similar to the name of one of my friends. I don’t know if you remember him but he’s the tall dude that looks like he’s two seconds away from punching someone. Well half the time that is.”

  
It took Marcin a moment to think, “Oh him! Yes, the guy who loves fruity flavors.” He let out a laugh. “You never really know what flavors people are going to get. It’s a fun game to try and guess.”

“It is. That sounds like a lot of fun.”

  
“Well, maybe not too fun. I have to keep myself occupied somehow.”

  
“So Marcin, why did you open up this shop?”

  
“You see, it’s a long story.” Marcin loved talking about the story behind his shop and how his family and friends from school doubted that he could make it work. The long nights planning flavors and looking at furniture. The sheer elation when he got his business loan approved and shop rental agreement finalized. How on opening day his sister fell face first into the shop windows tripping over her own two feet. Just remembering her face squished against the glass was enough to send him into fits of laughter. Rasmus was a wonderful person to talk to as he ate. He was attentive and Marcin just couldn’t get over that smile of his.

  
They talked long after Rasmus was finished with his abomination of flavors. The ring of the shop’s bell broke their conversation mid-sentence. Whatever magic spell had connected the two broke as other customers walked in.

  
“I guess I should go,” Rasmus said then looked at the time. “I’m late for dinner. My friends are going to kill me.”

  
“I hope you enjoy your time with them,” Marcin said wishing he could stay.

  
Rasmus threw his bowl in the trash then turned around to look at him. “Do you, do you think I could come by after you close? I liked talking to you.”

  
“Sure, I’d love that.” 

With that promise the evening hours stretched on and on. Marcin thought he had to be going near the speed of light for the minutes were so slow. Finally the clock ticked over to 10 pm and he flipped the sign on the front door. It was dark out making it hard to see through the glass but the walk in front of his shop was empty. He sighed and told himself that he didn’t really expect Rasmus to come. They hadn’t talked for too long and he probably was out having fun with his friends. 

He moved back to the closet that served as his office to tally the total sales for the day and make sure the software agreed with what he had in the till. Crunching numbers with his handy phone calculator was his least favorite part of the day.

Swearing as he saw his tallies didn’t match up perfectly Marcin was ready to punch something. He had crunched the numbers three times by now and each time things were somehow more off. A knock on the front door startled him and interrupted his tirade. Could it be?

  
Marcin rushed to the front and saw Rasmus there looking a bit cold. He hastily unlocked the door and let him in. “I didn’t think you would come.”

Rasmus winced. “Sorry, I got caught up with my friends.” Marcin could tell that he was slightly drunk by the way his words barely slurred together.

  
“That’s alright. You made it.” He made Marcin’s whole week by just showing up. “I was just finishing my tallies for the day in the back. You can come with.”

Rasmus followed him to the back but couldn’t fit into his office so he stood just outside the door. The young man seemed to enjoy the silence as Marcin worked on his tallies and _finally_ they matched. He made sure to pack his bag before turning off the ancient computer. Grabbing his keys in his hand. Marcin closed and locked the office then turned to face Rasmus. “You ready to lock up?” he asked.

  
“Of course.” Rasmus grinned and took the keys from Marcin. Together they turned off the lights and locked the back door. Walking down the alley behind the shops Marcin tried to think of something clever to say. Rasmus was slightly drunk and started to try to rap. Or something.

  
“Boots and cats, boots and cats,” Rasmus repeated quietly, slowly getting louder.

  
“What are you saying?” Marcin asked, grinning at the silly dude beside him.

  
“Boots and cats.” You could hear the carefree happiness in his voice. “It’s something my friends told me to say. They said to try saying it quickly. I don’t quite understand but it’s fun.”

  
“Huh,” was all Marcin got out before Rasmus was back to boots and cats-ing. Hearing those words was somewhat familiar though he could not place why. He mulled it over happy to just have Rasmus walking beside him. 

“Rasmus,” he interrupted after fifteen or so seconds. “Did you know that was a song?”

“Wait, boots and cats is a song?”

“Yeah.” Marcin let the nostalgia wash over him. “My friends from school somehow found it on youtube and wouldn’t stop singing it for days. It had a few million views when we found it and I’m sure between all of us we added a couple hundred. If I remember correctly there was also something about bees in it."

“No way!” Rasmus excitedly got out his phone and opened youtube. Their walk to the train station was filled with both of them trying to outdo each other’s covers of this old meme song. Neither of them would have rather spent the time any other way. Both of them were sad to part but Rasmus promised to bring his friends back by Marcin’s shop sometime soon.


	2. Sweets and Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rasmus brings his friends back to Marcin's froyo shop. They all hang out together and decide to do a game night in a few days. Poor Marcin finds out he can't play videogames well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't take anything from mic check this week. Instead I took the story of when Drakos went over to play MK with the G2 boys. (From this weeks EUphoria with Miky) Rasmus just staring at people was too good of a story to not write it.
> 
> Written listening to Invisible (orchestral version) from the Klaus soundtrack on loop. Idk why I like that song so much.

It took three days before Marcin saw Rasmus again and somehow those three days were the longest days of his life. His store was busy and he was busy trying to find a part time employee for the summer. He had plenty to do which should have made the hours fly by but no. Fate was cruel to him. They talked briefly for a few minutes for Rasmus was on his lunch break. He had been able to convince his friends to come over after they played trivia at the pub. Getting drunk and trying to out-do each other apparently was a must for them once a month. Marcin was excited to see Rasmus again but he was a bit worried about having a lot of young drunk men in his store. Luckily the tables and chairs were plastic so not too much harm would come to them. He hoped.

Friday came and Marcin spent too many moments anxiously looking at the clock. Rasmus and the others wouldn’t be by until late that night. Part of him wondered just what Rasmus had told them to get them to come. Was it just about trying the new flavor or did he mention their walk? He felt a little queasy at seeing Rasmus again. The short Dane had somehow wormed his way into his thoughts and heart. He planned his days around when they had time to talk and loved getting little messages throughout the day. 

The sun had set hours ago and Marcin was busy mopping the floor when his phone buzzed. A new text from Rasmus said that they would be there in 15 minutes. He smiled and smiled even more when his phone buzzed again and a heart appeared. Rasmus wasn’t the smoothest flitter in the world but Marcin didn’t mind. He sent back his own heart and quickly finished mopping the floor.  
The bell rang out while he was still in the back and Marcin rushed to the front. “Hey Marcin,” came the cheerful voice he loved. Rasmus had come in last but he quickly walked up to where he was standing. With a grin he kissed Marcin on the check. _He’s drunk_ Marcin reminded himself as he felt his face burn and Rasmus just laughed.

“Now I know why we were dragged to this place,” the one with glasses said. Both the talk blonde guy and the short brunette with cropped hair were grinning at Rasmus.

  
“Rasmus why didn’t you tell us?” the short guy asked. He walked up to them and pulled Rasmus into a headlock and ruffled his hair. Rasmus laughed and laughed. It seemed like he was one of those happy drunks. 

“Luka,” he whined. 

“This is what you get for not telling us,” Luka said pulling Rasmus closer. Rasmus weakly struggled in his grasp and pouted.

“Marcin is a friend,” he said.

  
“A friend?” Luka’s voice was incredulous. 

“Yes….well,” Rasmus stilled. “We haven’t talked about what we want to be. So he’s a friend.”

“I see.” Marcin was startled as Luka locked eyes with him. “I guess we should get some froyo while _you two talk_.” He pushed Rasmus towards him. Rasmus stumbled into Marcin and on a whim he embraced him. Looking down at Rasmus he couldn’t help but smile. 

“So, I heard there was something you wanted to talk about?” Rasmus blushed and glanced away. Marcin followed his line of sight to see the others looking at him and definitely not getting froyo. Out of the corner of his eye Marcin saw Rasmus give a vulgar gesture to his friends. _Leave us alone_.

“Rasmus,” Marcin whispered. “Do you want to talk in my office?”

Marcin had never hated his narrow closet of an office more than he did tonight. There wasn’t enough room for both of them to be in there unless they were practically on top of each other. Which he didn’t think either of them would mind but it was best to have some distance between them for this discussion. 

Rasmus was sitting on his office chair straddling the back while Marcin stood in the doorway looking at the younger Dane as he traced his finger along cracks in the faux leather. “Rasmus,” Marcin asked gently. Sure his love was drunk but he didn’t seem too drunk as to not have this serious conversation. 

Rasmus sighed before looking up at him. “I can’t get you out of my head. Everyday I wake up and immediately look at my phone to read your messages. I’ve never wanted to talk to someone this much and been so unhappy that we’re both so busy. The internet says this is a crush but I’ve never felt this way about a guy before.” 

“Well you shouldn’t take the internet’s advice about dating.” Marcin was certain about that. He was also certain that he would need to be the one to ask the question. Rasmus would continue to ramble on otherwise. “Would you be my boyfriend?” In the past this question was a lot scarier to ask but with time and experience not to mention _Rasmus coming up to him and kissing him_ it was easy.

“Boyfriend? Your boyfriend?”

  
“Yes.”

Rasmus smiled and practically leaped out of the chair into his arms. “Yes.” He reached up to press his lips to Marcin’s. That was that. 

They walked out to the front hand in hand and Marcin could tell that Rasmus’s friends were thoroughly entertained. Introductions went around. Marcin saw that Martin had gotten the new flavor, Luka a small thing of vanilla with caramel sauce while Mihael went without. He said he was full but Marcin teased him about how one could never be too full for dessert. Rasmus left him for a moment to get his own bowl of froyo. 

“So Marcin,” Luka asked first. “How did this,” he gestured between him and Rasmus with his spoon, “start?” 

“Well.” Marcin had to think for a moment. “He came by the day I released my new spring flavor and the store was empty. Rather than sit alone he asked if he could talk with me.” 

“That sounds like Rasmus,” Mihael said, clicking his tongue at the end of the sentence. Martin was quiet, eating his froyo, but he couldn’t keep a massive grin off of his face. He was sharp and his piercing eyes missed nothing. 

“I hope you don’t mind that we helped ourselves,” Luka said with a smug grin. He ate another big spoonful of froyo. Marcin had the thought that Luka’s smug face could haunt his nightmares one day. A hand on his shoulder broke the staring contest he was having with Luka. Rasmus had made yet another abomination of flavors and toppings. If anything drunk Rasmus had worse taste. 

“Move over,” he insisted. Somehow they managed to share the chair though both of them were half off of it. Normally Marcin would be very annoyed but feeling the warm press of Rasmus at his side made it all okay. He would share many chairs if he got to be this close to his boyfriend. His boyfriend. What a strange concept. 

The young men happily talked together and peppered Marcin with questions about himself. It was less of an interrogation than Marcin had feared though the worst part was trying some of Rasmus’s froyo. The Dane’s unorthodox tastes weren’t good. And it was hard to make froyo taste bad in his opinion. The mixture of chocolate and tart orange froyo with gummy bears was not something he ever wanted to experience again. 

By the time the clock rolled over to 11pm and it was time to close his store Rasmus and the others had sobered up a bit. Martin, Luka, and Mihael bade their farewells. Closing up the store with Rasmus was something he could get used to he thought. 

“Marcin,” Rasmus said as he locked the alleyway door. “You should join us for our mortal combat tournament. You don’t work Mondays right?”

“No.” It was true Mondays were his day “off”’ but he had a lot of chores to do around the house. “What time were you thinking?”

“Probably around 7 or so at night to start.” Rasmus thought for a bit. “Make that 8, no 8:30.” 

“I can make that.” Marcin wasn’t super into fighting games but he would do practically anything to spend more time with Rasmus right now. They continued to walk slowly to the train station, trying to stretch out their time together. Rasmus was more somber when they reached the station. 

“Well, I guess…” Rasmus trailed off and fidgeted, not meeting his eyes. The air between them was full of an awkward tension. Things had seemed so much simpler in his shop earlier. Marcin pulled the short Dane into a hug. “Goodnight,” he murmured. Rasmus wrapped him in a tight hug and they held each other for a long moment. Marcin softly kissed the side of Rasmus’s head before letting go. They shared a brief smile before Marcin boarded the train towards his home. 

Monday night Marcin found himself staring up at a large apartment building near the center of the city. He wondered if Rasmus lived here with some friends or if it was one of the others. Either way the place was expensive and part of him felt guilty for his own humble abode. He lived with Etta, an old widow, in a pilot program putting young professionals with old retirees. It was nice to have someone that treated him as family and the housing was rather cheap but he did technically live in a retirement home. In the mornings before he went to work he would help Etta with the crossword puzzle in return for a nice homemade breakfast. Marcin took in a deep breath and tried to still his mind. There was no shame in living as he did. 

He felt someone lightly touch his arm and turned to see Mihael standing next to him. “Don’t be scared,” he said. “After all you two are dating. Honestly you’re so lucky. Rasmus was so nervous walking over to your shop last week. It all worked out though.”

“Yeah,” Marcin half-heartedly agreed. That night felt like a dream, too good for reality. Together they walked up to the door leading into the building, Marcin trailing the brown haired Slovenian. 

The elevator ride up was not as bad as Marcin feared. Mihael was easy to talk to. The soft cadence of his voice really helped to put him at ease. He learned that Mihael was the oldest child who had left his small village to seek his fortune in Berlin. Sometimes he missed the small village with it’s quiet, relaxed way of life. Both of them bonded over moving far away from their homes and by the end Marcin thought he had found another friend. 

Mihael knocked on the apartment door. A plain welcome mat was all that greeted them until the door opened. Marcin brightened as he saw Rasmus who was looking relaxed in a t-shirt and sweats. “Come in, come in,” he beckoned, opening the door wide. “I’m glad you were able to find it alright Maricn.”

Marcin glanced at Mihael. “I had help.” Rasmus gave Mihael a bright smile. 

“Miky!” came a deep voice from inside the apartment. Marcin saw Luka walk towards them smiling. The two of them greeted each other in a mixture of Croatian and Slovenian and moved to the gray sectional couch to talk. Martin was already there playing against an ai, all his attention laser focused on the tv in front of him. 

“Come on.” Rasmus grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch. “Guys, let’s show Marcin how things are done here! It’s mortal combat time!” 

Rasmus and Luka faced off against each other first. Though Marcin wasn’t sure exactly what was happening he did see that his boyfriend was an absolute troll. Every time his character moved to grab the other he would set down his controller and just stare at Luka. The animation wasn’t too long, just a couple of seconds, and Rasmus had the timing down perfectly. Luka was used to it and merely rolled his eyes stating, “come on Rasmus, pay attention to the screen.” It was a close match for both of the boys were very competitive but in the end Rasmus won. 

It made him so happy to see Rasmus’s triumphant smile and to hear him gloat about his wins. Suddenly his happiness evaporated as he realized he was expected to face Rasmus now. The Dane patted the cushion next to him and Marcin moved, taking the controller from Luka. With quick tips from Luka he loaded into the game. It was a slaughter and Rasmus’s habit of staring at him didn’t help. He found it disconcerting how easy Rasmus was able to switch focus while still being great at the game. 

Marcin’s pride smarted a bit at being beaten so thoroughly. Rasmus bumped his arm and Marcin looked over at the small Dane. A shy smile graced his lips as he said, “since I won that game you owe me something. A kiss.” 

Marcin’s face went scarlet. “A kiss?”

“Yeah,” Ramus laughed. He pursed his lips and made exaggerated kissing noises. Marcin sighed then softly pecked him on the lips. Sounds of protest came from their friends at the display of affection but Marcin could tell that Rasmus didn’t mind. 

The hours of the game night passed in a blur. Marcin quickly decided to watch more than play for he lost to everyone. Badly. He learned that quiet Martin got really loud when he was focussed on winning. The men around him ragged on each other incessantly. It was a sharp contrast from the quiet, supportive home he was used to but during it Marcin realized just how much he missed spending time with others his own age. 

When everyone was starting to yawn Marcin looked at his phone to see the time. It was just after midnight. He carefully stood up for Rasmus was leaning against him and wandered towards the door. Grabbing his coat and putting on his shoes gave Rasmus enough time to wander over. 

“It’s late.” Marcin said matter of factly.

“I know.” Rasmus yawned. “Thank you for coming by. I hope you liked our place.” 

“It’s nice.”

“Maybe I can come by your place sometime?” Marcin’s heart skipped a beat. His fear of Rasmus making fun of how he lived came back in full force.

“Maybe.” He kept his tone light and teasing though he could tell it was a bit strained. “Goodnight Rasmus.”

“Goodnight.” They quickly kissed then Marcin was out the door. There was never enough time to spend with Rasmus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this! Again sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> Let me know if you want me to continue this with Rasmus going over to Marcin's place and meeting Etta. Since there will be an OC I want to know if you'd all like to read it first.


	3. Lemon Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rasmus comes over to Marcin's place and things don't exactly go to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter for you all!

Marcin blearily looked at his phone screen. It was just after 10 in the morning on Monday. He had gotten home late last night, close to three in the morning. Every week the froyo machines needed to be thoroughly cleaned and it took him hours of hard work to get it done. A spot in his back was still sore from all the bending over he had to do and he unsuccessfully tried to stretch it out. A short rap came from his bedroom door. “Marcin, are you awake?” came Etta’s voice. “If not I hope you are now. It’s past 10 for heaven’s sake.” 

“I’m up.” His voice was rough from sleep and he sighed. He wouldn’t be getting any more sleep this morning. With his reflection staring back at him from the small mirror resting on his dresser Marcin saw his short blonde hair in disarray. He tried to smooth out the worst of it while looking over the rest of him. One would call him thin and definitely not athletic. The dark mole on his right side at the bottom of his rib cage was the only obvious marking on his body other than a small divot in his cheek. He rummaged through his dresser for a shirt and some sweats to put on before heading out to the living area he shared with Etta. 

His nose twitched as he smelled the freshly baked bread she had made that morning. Etta was a traditionalist and thus breakfast consisted of fresh bread, some hard cheese he didn’t know the name of, a seasonal jam, a boiled egg or two, and tea. Having breakfast made for him most days was something he knew he shouldn’t complain about but sometimes he got bored of eating the same food. Though today it did smell like Etta had tried a new bread recipe. Any change was good. 

He walked into the small kitchen and dining area. Though Etta was usually greeted him with a smile today he got a barely concealed grimace. He must look frightful and hastily looked down at himself. Sure enough his shirt and sweats clashed, at least to anyone sensible. Marcin was not sensible. Etta had tried valiantly to make an esthete out of him. Sometimes Marcin felt that she hadn’t given up but today wasn’t one of those days.

“Interesting choice,” was all she said. “Eat quickly.” Sunlight streamed through the windows and Marcin looked out while eating to admire the spring flowers. He glanced over at Etta who sat in her rocking chair trying to solve the crossword puzzle. Like always she looked prim and proper with her hair brushed and styled, her beloved matching pearl earrings and necklace, red lipstick, and an old fashioned navy dress. She was in her early 80s and liked to wear what was fashionable when she was young. 

Etta looked up from her crossword and caught him looking at her. Her lips pressed into a firm line before she spoke. “Marcin, what is a band that’s named after an electrical current? Four letters.” He turned back to his food and thought. Honestly he had no clue so he tried to come up with bands with four letter names. 

Finishing his food he turned back to Etta. “Do you have any letters?”

“It starts with A and ends with C,” she said without looking up from her puzzle. His mind chewed on the puzzle as he cleaned his dishes then went to change into something more respectable. He was meeting Rasmus today and he wanted to look good. Fussing he tried on multiple shirts and pants before he decided on a navy button down and black jeans. He made sure to get Etta’s approval. 

“A little dark for my tastes,” she said with the direct honesty he loved. “It makes your pale skin stand out too much. Come here.” She made sure the collars on his sleeves were rolled back neatly giving him a more casual look. “There, much better.”

“Etta, I think I have an answer for you.” This caused her to give him a hopeful smile. He would never tire of her smiles. “It’s probably the band ACDC.” 

“ACDC! Oh of course!” She hurriedly filled the letters in. “Thank you Marcin, you get the new cultural stuff that I’m too old for.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her that for him ACDC was an old band. Instead he kissed her on the cheek and said his goodbyes. She absently patted him on the arm and wished him well, her mind trying to find a word. 

  
  


Marcin didn’t know why he was so nervous as he walked towards the shop he would be having lunch at with Rasmus. By all accounts the Dane was really into him. Rasmus was a total sap and Marcin had never seen someone use so many emojis in a message before. Maybe he was worried Rasmus would move on as quickly as he had come into his life. Or maybe he was worried about taking Rasmus home.

Home, to Etta. He had never talked to Etta about his preference for guys. Sure she had knit him a rainbow scarf that he wore on blisteringly cold days but she had given it to him with the words, “now you match your wonderful little shop.” He knew some of the residents didn’t approve of people like him. Mr. Schmidt was in particular very vocal about it. If word got out that he was dating a man it would cause a scandal. People thought that teenagers gossiped a lot and burned bridges over the pettiest things but those people had never had to live in a retirement home. He didn’t want to be the reason Etta lost friends. 

The shop’s door was in his hand before he realized he had arrived. He opened the door to see Rasmus standing there waiting. Rasmus with his mousy brown hair, lithe frame, and the prettiest blue eyes, turned towards him and lit up. His lopsided grin grew two sizes and he embraced Marcin. “Hello min skat!” he whispered into his ear before drawing back to study Marcin. “Not bad.” An approving nod for his outfit was nice though he would bet that Rasmus was less discerning than Etta. 

Lunch with Rasmus both seemed to take too long and be over in an instant. He dodged Rasmus’s questions about his home with a grin and a “you’ll see.” Truthfully he _was_ nervous about it. Rasmus lived in a nice apartment downtown and he lived near the outskirts in a retirement home. It wasn’t until they were a little over a block away that Marcin finally broke down and told him. 

“Rasmus?”

“Hmm?” Rasmus was his happy self enjoying the warm spring day. 

“My living situation is a little...unorthodox.” Why couldn’t he just tell him?

Rasmus slowed and looked at him seriously. “Marcin unless you live in a condemned place or with druggies I don’t really care.”

“It’s not that.” He took a deep breath in. “I live in a retirement home.”

Rasmus stopped and stared in confusion. “A retirement home?” he questioned.

“I needed somewhere cheap to live and the people who run the place wanted to pair young people with the retirees to give them some more social opportunities. I applied and got accepted. My roommate...she’s….well she’s in her eighties.”

Rasmus gave him a bright smile. “You know, that doesn’t sound too bad. So when do I get to meet her? Does she know about me? If you told her all about us while not telling me anything about her I’m going to be upset.” Marcin laughed at Rasmus trying to act upset and soon the two of them were in fits of giggles. 

“No,” he said as their laughter subsided. “I haven’t told her. I’m worried she…” he trailed off.

“She won’t approve.” 

“Yeah, that. She’s honestly become like my grandma. I don’t want to upset her.” 

“I get it. I mean you do live with her after all. Well there’s no time like the present.” Rasmus increased his stride toward the beige building he called his home. 

“She’s usually at bingo during this time. I...it was too much to try and introduce you to her and this place.” 

Rasmus’s face fell a bit and his pace slowed. “When does she usually get back?”

“In two or so hours.” 

He saw Rasmus check his phone. “Well it looks like you’re stuck with me for another two or so hours.” 

“What about your plans with your friends?”

“This is more important.” Marcin knew there would be no talking him out of meeting Etta.

Watching Rasmus take in the building was fascinating. The young man naturally curious and Marcin doubted he had spent much time in a retirement home. The semi-sterile hallways and seemingly random medical equipment didn’t seem to bother him. In fact he was delighted by nearly everything. Finally they reached his door. Marcin’s key slid easily into the lock and he opened the door.

“Marcin, is that you?” he heard Etta call from inside and froze. She wasn’t supposed to be here. He shared a surprised glance with Rasmus and moved to block him from view as they entered the apartment. 

“Yes Etta,” he barely got out. “What are you doing here? I thought you had bingo?”

“On Sunday afternoon Mrs. Peters slighted Mrs. Huber. Mrs. Huber barged into bingo all in a huff demanding an apology from Mrs. Peters. She didn’t get one and no one could focus on bingo after that.” Hell hath no fury like an inconvenienced Mrs. Huber. Drama followed that lady like a specter, chilling everyone around her. It seemed like every week someone had done something to wrong her and the residents knew by now to stay out of her way. 

“That’s...too bad.” Marcin heard the steady click of her needles as she knitted something.

“Such is life with Mrs. Huber around. Did I tell you about what happened after church yesterday dear?” Etta continued to ramble on. Marcin swore she could live on gosip alone for a few days. 

“No.” He slowly walked into the apartment with Rasmus trailing behind him. The nervous energy coming from Rasmus didn’t help with the butterflies in his stomach. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Hahn’s grandson came to visit them, a lovely little boy like you, you know. He’s a very bright young fellow, top of his class in law school. Could use some work on his hair though…” Etta trailed off and her knitting stopped. 

“Marcin, who is that behind you? You know it’s very rude not to introduce guests. Come out young man, don’t be shy.” He had no idea why he thought it might be possible to sneak Rasmus off to his room until he had a plan; Etta was much too sharp for that. 

“Etta,” his voice was thin. “This is Rasmus. Rasmus, this is my roommate Etta.” Luckily Rasmus’s lopsided smile was charming. 

“Why aren’t you a very handsome young man. Come over here so I can get a better look at you.” Rasmus blushed and obliged her, taking in their place as he went. Most of the furniture came from Etta’s old home that she shared with her late husband. There was a small china cabinet with china dishes and a few figurines, a doily thrown over the back of her old cushioned rocking chair. The walls of the combined kitchen, living, and dining area were painted a nice robin egg blue and pictures of their families dotted the walls. Marcin wasn’t really one for pictures but Etta had insisted on it, wanting to know who were the people that mattered the most to him. 

“So Rasmus, which is a lovely name by the way, ” she said in a conspiratorial stage whisper, “I know I won’t get a straight answer from Marcin. How long have you two been together?” The young men both froze, smiles painted on their faces.

“What makes you think we’re together?” Marcin choked out, staring at Etta.

Etta narrowed her eyes at him. “Marcin, you’ve been a lot happier these past few weeks. You keep your phone on you more and your face lights up in delight when you get a message. It wasn’t hard to figure out you had met someone. Like the patient lady I am I waited until you were comfortable enough to bring them home. Nor is it surprising that the person of your affections is a he. I made you a rainbow scarf last year for Pete’s sake!” 

It was not possible for Marcin’s face to get more red. He knew Etta was sharp but he didn’t expect this. “Yeah….” was all he managed to get out. 

“A rainbow scarf?” Rasmus asked both of them. 

“Marcin why don’t you be a dear and go get it? That way Rasmus and I can have some time together.” He looked at Rasmus who merely shrugged before leaving to find that scarf. Rasmus probably didn’t get the subtle dig at the state of Marcin’s room from what Etta said but it was loud and clear to him. 

Just where was that stupid scarf? He really needed to take more care to keep his room tidy. Worry knotted in his belly as to what Etta and Rasmus were talking about. Though it took him a few minutes to find his scarf it felt like eternity. When he came back out he saw Rasmus and Etta sitting at the table with Rasmus eating some of Etta’s famous Lemon cake. There was no way Rasmus wasn’t thoroughly charmed by now. That cake was magical.

“Here you go,” he handed the scarf to Etta and sat down on the chair next to Rasmus. 

“Good boy.” Etta’s fingers lovingly traced the soft yarn and she smiled. “We hadn’t been living together for too long when I made this I remember. It was getting cold and you, like the stubborn young man you are, thought you were invincible. Do you remember how you protested when I made you wear it?” 

Marcin thought back to the time and blushed. “Yes. And you were right, scarfs are great for keeping warm,” he said quickly before she could go on. Etta’s smile was triumphant. 

“Did you know that Rasmus has a big family?” she went on. “He’s so lucky and he loves them. It’s a very important thing to have you know.” Etta was adamant about families being good to each other and close. Marcin looked at Rasmus who blushed a bit and focused on eating his cake. He was adorable. 

“I had an inkling,” was all he said. “Was there anything else you talked about?”

“Just basic introductions really. Name, where you’re from, that sort of stuff.” Rasmus had finished his small slice of cake and there was nary a crumb left. 

“Have you two boys seen _Ford vs. Ferrari_ yet?” Marcin had no idea where Etta was going with this. “They’re playing it in the theater here in a few minutes. I’ve heard it’ll be a fairly empty screening.” So Etta wanted them out of the apartment, but for what reason?

Rasmus seemed to take the hint in stride. “It sounds like a good movie. Why don’t we go?” 

They both got up, with Etta insisting that she can do Rasmus’s dishes, and got their shoes. “We’ll see you in a bit,” Marcin called to her as they left. Etta’s smile was a crafty one and he wondered just what they would come back to. 

Truthfully they didn’t watch much of the movie. A few other patrons came but most fell asleep in the first twenty minutes. Instead he and Rasmus spent the time exploring how kissing the other worked. So far all their kisses had been short but the back row was the perfect place to remedy that. 

Happily they snuck out of the theater a bit before the movie ended. Hand in hand with mused hair and roughed lips the boys giggled as they walked back to Marcin’s place. “We’re back,” Marcin called as they took off their shoes. There came no reply from Etta which was a bit odd. 

There was a package wrapped on the table and it had Rasmus’s name on it. Rasmus just gave him a look with a quirked eyebrow. “I don’t know,” he whispered. 

“You’re back.” came Etta’s voice from the hallway that lead to their rooms. “Earlier than I expected. How was the movie?” She moved over to her rocking chair and sat facing them. 

“It was fine,” Rasmus said with a smile. Judging from the harumph that Etta gave she knew they hadn’t watched the movie. 

“Rasmus dear, why don’t you open up that package?” 

Carefully Rasmus picked up the package. It was soft and light and he tried to not tear the paper too much as he opened it. Soon he was holding a beautiful scarf in his hands much like the one Marcin had. This one had a small R at one end though so he knew it was his. “Oh,” was all he said quietly as he felt the soft yarn. 

“Bring it here please.” Rasmus went to stand before Etta and Marcin decided to sit in his seat next to her. His own scarf was there and he held it in his hands. She took Rasmus’s scarf from him and motioned for him to lower his head. Gently she draped it around him. “There, it’s perfect.” Her smile was wide. 

“Thank you.” All of them had tears in their eyes. 

“Rasmus be sure to stop by often. It’s nice to have another cute young man around. And you make my Marcin very happy.” 

“I will.” 

“Come here and give Etta a kiss.” She tapped her cheek and Rasmus leaned in to give her a kiss. Etta smiled and patted his cheek in return. “I do ask for a kiss from my boys every time I see them.” She winked at him and they all laughed. “Also Marcin, don’t you worry about mean old Mr. Schmidt. I’ll take care of him.” Marcin could scarcely remember how afraid he had felt this morning. He had a new, happy, loving and supportive family right here. _Fin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Sorry for any mistakes like always I'm not the best proof reader.
> 
> And that's the end of this little AU! Let me know what you think of it in a comment.


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